I am an absolute "Dance Moms" fanatic. Ever since the TV show first came out, my eyes have been glued to the screen at 8 p.m. every Tuesday night. I have yet to miss a single episode. Even though I truly love the show, and would absolutely die if I ever met Abby Lee Miller, one thing has always really bothered me: the way she treats her kids.

I can only name a handful of times in the five seasons that Abby Lee Miller gave a true compliment. Most of the time, she is highly critical of the girls and their mothers, and every single aspect of their lives. While the girls are incredible dancers, recent studies have shown that maybe a little less criticism and a lot more positivity goes a long way.

According to a blog on the Harvard Business, review written by Jack Zenger, the ideal ratio for positive to negative feedback is five positive comments for every one negative comment. This ensures that someone knows that they have room for improvement, but it is also acknowledges they are doing something correct.

We do not get to see a lot of what goes on off camera, but I am guessing that there are not many more positive comments handed out. Zenger suggests that every negative feedback should be presented in a “rational, objective, and calm” way to make sure that the criticism is actually constructive. Abby Lee Miller is far from calm when she presents her criticism. Zenger believes that no one should ever use the title “constructive criticism” as a shield for a personal attack, which if you have ever seen this drama filled series, that is mostly what it is used for.

According to Zenger, “Only positive feedback can motivate people to continue doing what they’re doing well, and do it with more vigor, determination, and creativity.” I believe this wholeheartedly because criticism just makes me shut down, whereas positive feedback makes me want to get more positive feedback. If those girls had received more positive enforcement during their early years of training, there is a chance they could be even more incredible dancers than they already are. I do believe that usually criticism has good intentions behind it; however, this famed dance teacher frequently uses it improperly. Overuse of criticism destroys the joy and creativity that comes with learning a new activity, which has been shown throughout the seasons in many of the girls.

I am in no way an advocate for no feedback or criticism. I am just a strong believer in the idea that with every negative comment should come multiple positive ones. I believe that this promotes strong and healthy growth in learning. Everyone is in need of both positive and negative reinforcement. In terms of learning and growing, I believe that the more positive feedback the better. I am a firm believer that giving positive feedback when you also give negative feed back promotes healthy way of learning. "Dance Moms" has shown that Abby Lee Miller does not provide a healthy learning environment for the dancers which, in my opinion, makes for a poor teacher.